Will Paul George be suspended for step onto court during tussle

May 1, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Indiana Pacers guard George Hill (3) gets into a fight with Atlanta Hawks forward Mike Scott (32) in the second quarter of game six of the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports(Photo: Jason Getz / USA TODAY Sports)

With 19 seconds remaining in the first half Thursday night, Indiana Pacers guard George Hill and Atlanta Hawks reserve Mike Scott got into a staring-then-shoving contest.

Their actions drew a technical foul on each, but in the heat of their showdown, Pacers star Paul George and Rasual Butler -- who were both not in the game -- made small steps onto the court. They remained near the bench.

According to NBA rules: "During an altercation, all players not participating in the game must remain in the immediate vicinity of their bench. Violators will be suspended, without pay, for a minimum of one game and fined up to $50,000."

The most famous implementation of this rule was in 2007 when the Phoenix Suns' Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw were suspended after moving toward an altercation between the Spurs' Robert Horry and Phoenix's Steve Nash in Game 4. San Antonio won Game 5 and closed out the series in Game 6.

"The rule with respect to leaving the bench area during an altercation is very clear," said NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson at the time. "Historically, if you break it, you will get suspended, regardless of what the circumstances are.

"This is a very unfortunate incident but the rule is the rule. It's not a matter of fairness. It's a matter of correctness, and this is the right decision."